Government Medical College and Hospital deans' transfer leads to problems with no cure

NAGPUR: The transfers of four deans, including Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) dean Dr Rajaram Powar, appears to have served no purpose. Except for controversial Solapur dean Dr AD Shinde, who has joined at Latur, no one else has takes up the new postings yet, with the entire issue a real mess.

Confusion still prevails over who will head GMCH, as no one has been posted here nor has anyone been given temporary charge. Also, Latur dean Dr Dongaonkar has been relieved after Dr Shinde moved from Solapur to Latur and took over charge from her. However, this has left Dr Dongaonkar in a funny situation, as she can't join at Yavatmal since dean Dr AP Dongre, who has seven months for retirement, has approached the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal and a status quo has been given against his transfer.

"So, even if government relieves him, no one else can join at Yavatmal," said government advocate in Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) Ashutosh Potnis. This has left Dr Dongaonkar in a lurch.

Sources in directorate of medical education and research (DMER) say that considering the situation she has requested the authorities to transfer her to Solapur to solve the problem. Sources say that some of the transferred deans are camping in Mumbai to clear the issues.

Meanwhile, sources said that the GMCH dean, who has been transferred to DMER as OSD is worried about release of his salary there, since there is no OSD post in DMER. The bigger issue is that DMER has relieved three of the four transferred deans but not Dr Powar due to confusion over whom to hand over charge as acting dean or regular dean.

This has affected working of the four medical colleges.

Dr A Niswade, professor and head of paediatrics at GMCH, who claims to be the senior-most professor in state and hence fit for being GMCH dean, had been transferred on July 3 to GMC Ambejogai. GMCH dean Dr Powar had officially relieved him, but the former continues to hold office illegally.

Legally, unless the chief minister revokes his transfer, Dr Niswade cannot be given charge as acting dean. So, there is no question of he becoming dean. Unless DMER nominates someone for the post, it is unlikely to relieve Powar from GMCH.

Other GMCH professors in line of seniority (unless government decides to bring someone as dean from other GMCs) are professor and head of skin and venereal diseases Dr RP Singh, radio-diagnosis head Dr Kishor Taori and orthopaedics head Dr Sajal Mitra. The ball is in government's court.

Acting DMER director Dr Mansingh Powar told TOI the directorate would follow MAT guidelines and also solve issue of salary of OSD. But the picture would become clear after Monday.